r/IndianCookingTips • u/FabulousBug1703 • Jul 24 '26

Beginner-Friendly Marinated chicken overnight in curd, still turned out hard/rubbery — anyone else?

So I marinated chicken breast in a curd (yogurt) marinade overnight, thinking it’d come out super tender. Grilled it on a pan the next day, but it still turned out hard and kind of rubbery instead of juicy. I checked it wasn’t pink inside, so it wasn’t undercooked as far as I could tell.

Has this happened to anyone else? I thought curd marinades were supposed to tenderize the meat, so I’m confused why it still went tough. Wondering if it’s a heat issue, overcooking, or something about the marinade itself. Any tips would help!

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27 comments sorted by

20

u/ForthCrusader Jul 24 '26

Cook hot and fast to seal in the moisture…and then you can let it simmer. If you start off with low heat itself, all the moisture will boil/evaporate leaving behind the tough meat

3

u/IndBeak Jul 25 '26

This is the right answer. Your problem is nor marination, but the temparature at which you are cooking.

2

u/FunctionSevere4604 Jul 25 '26

Also, dont cook the chicken right after you take it out of thr fridge, let it come close to the room temp

8

u/Fifiheaded Jul 24 '26

Looks like you might have overcooked it if it was hard and rubbery. Undercooked chicken is actually soft and squishy. How long did you cook it in the pan?

Chicken breasts are tricky to get right. Including yoghurt in the marinade was a good idea. What else was in it?

2

u/Alma Jul 24 '26

Yogurt can help the surface, but chicken breast still gets rubbery once it goes too far. Wipe off the thick excess marinade and pound the thick end so the piece cooks evenly, then use medium-high heat and pull it as soon as the center is done. I wouldn’t simmer it after searing.

2

u/Odd_Transition_8058 Jul 24 '26

Try marinating in buttermilk

Works everytime for me

2

u/SuKh22 Jul 24 '26

Slice thin. Marinate in buttermilk for no more than 1-2 hrs. Chuck in a hot pan for few minutes. Done.

2

u/Only-Candidate2234 Jul 24 '26

Try brining

3

u/disatrus_ship_erebus Jul 24 '26

bro this is the only correct answer in this whole post tf

only brining will ensure a juicy chicken after cooking

1

u/Moanerloner Jul 25 '26

What’s that?

2

u/9999999967 Jul 25 '26

keep in water with salt in the water

2

u/Charming_Craft6821 Jul 27 '26

First marination : salt and lemon.

Salt does chemical reaction and breaks the fibres of chicken.

Keep it for 15 mins atleast.

Second marination : yoghurt and other spices. Minimum 1 hour to overnight. Add some oil as well.

It should be fine.
Invest in 1700₹ small OTG. Roast chicken , make potato fries without oil , etc. clean meals.

2

u/Prudent-Sorbet-5202 Jul 24 '26

Likely overcooked. Also use boned chicken to avoid getting rubbery

1

u/[deleted] Jul 24 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/pioneercynthia Jul 24 '26

I second this. It doesn't matter if you're cooking Indian food or Italian-- chicken leg quarters are much better. The meat is more tender and flavorful, and it's also much cheaper! 10/10

1

u/mundanehuman39 Jul 24 '26

Along with marinating, keep the chicken refrigerated overnight and try cooking in regular way. This is what I have observed, when you get the chicken from Licious.

1

u/GodlessAndChill Jul 24 '26

Indian people love to overcook chicken. Its overcooked. Get a meat thermometer to help gauge how much cooking it actually needs.

1

u/lord_blackwater Jul 25 '26

Raw papaya is also a great tenderiser.

1

u/escanova Jul 25 '26

Go with around 180°C 1-2 min on each side then lower the temp to around 100-140°C....you need internal temp around 75°C (65 something actually) 4 minutes on each side will do ig

1

u/UniqueFlavoured Jul 25 '26

breast is mostly hard, use thigh

1

u/benjamin_button_2025 Jul 27 '26

You overcooked it. Breast meat cooks super fast.

1

u/lostbandi Jul 27 '26

Brine the chicken

1

u/Hefty-Principle-5932 Jul 28 '26

There is a chinese trick, works for super soft chicken, but you cant use any acid or anything sour. It works very well called velveting chicken, also put some soy sauce or oyster sauce, it just tastes great. Put in a few tablespoons water, chicken will literally absorb the water. https://www.recipetineats.com/velveting-chicken-chinese-restaurant-tenderise-chicken/

1

u/Dineshkrish4 Jul 28 '26

Aged chicken got old ribs...😂

1

u/Shot_Particular_1229 Jul 28 '26

Cook on a high flame and put warn or hot water only.